Comparative analysis of the image of Kazakh in the Russian and Indian linguistic consciousness

Abstract

National identity is an important means of intergroup relationships, and stereotypes contribute to the identification of a person and the perception of each other by representatives of different ethnic groups. The perception of Kazakhs by representatives of the other nations is of undoubted interest. The article presents the results of a psycholinguistic study, the purpose of which was to describe the ways of conceptualizing the image of a Kazakh by the representatives of the Russian and Indian nations. Modelling the associative field “Kazakh” in the Russian language and Hindi will contribute to understanding of culture stereotypes and successful intercultural communication. The research material complies of the data of an associative experiment conducted with the students and employees of higher educational institutions of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan. The respondents of the study included 41 people aged 17-60 years, of them 20 subjects are native speakers of the Russian language and 21 subjectsare native speakers of Hindi. The associative experiment was grounded on the questionnaire based on the method of constructing a “semantic gestalt”, with the allocation of semantic zones. The associative field of the word-stimulus “Kazakh” was analyzed, and as a result of which, the stereotypicity indicator was defined. The results of the study indicate largely positive conceptualizations of Kazakhs by representatives of the Russian and Indian nations. Negative characteristics of Kazakhs are stated by Russians, and include cunning, stubbornness, and secrecy. Both Russians and Indians state the Turkic origin of Kazakhs, associate them with Kazakhstan, and consider the Kazakhs as respecting elders and patriotic. Key words: linguistic consciousness, image, Kazakh, nationality, stereotype, Russians, Indians, associative experiment.